The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1887-06-15
But for the Little Tricks.

1t is said, and has been believed by the
| credHleus, that our tramps make marks
upon the gate posts of homes where they
ask aims, which are nay sterious to all but
the fraternity of beggars and TO these
are signs of the hospitality or niggardli-
ness of the inmates Whether this free
masonry exists among class which has
been voted nuisance, or not, there are
marks which have a secret meaning made
by beggars and by menials who pass out
from the homes of our land, and from
which the reputation of their owners is
read
Among sewing women, servant girls
and washerwomen, there are ways of
learning of the desiribleness of certain
situations which make the words of the
wise man in the Proverbs, A bird of
the air will tell it, peculiarly significant.
In recommending a situation to a needy
girl at one time, the answer was returned
with look of decision Oh, no, ma'am
| do not care to try the place, she never
keeps girl long" Trying to help an
other we were told, "Oh, no, she can't be
depended upon. She has fits; awful fits,
and says such things When we in
quired of this physical disability which
we supposed the fits" belonged TO, we
were told, "Oh, they're not that sort,
they're temper fits she don't seem to be
able to help getting mad, at least the girls
all say the same thing, and she can1 keep
servants, SO she has to do the work her
self half the time
When the working girls have not been
so yoluble as these, how often have we
noticed the peculiar signs which tell us
there is secret knowledge of the charac-
ter of certain mistresses of homes,
knowledge not gained by personal expe-
rience but BY the mark which some de-
parting hireling has put upon the gate
post, which has resulted in reputation
which has made it difficult fr her TO
keep a servant in the future.
Ladies to whom Il reputation is precious
will often unknowingly risk it by very
small acts of meanness, and will wonder
why they find it so difficult to find and
keep help in their homes. One such ex-
ample of trickery, for it can be called by
no better name, came TO the notice of the
neighborhood, and gave new brand to
the character of a lady who otherwise
could have borne Il reputation for up
rightness. fthe suspicion of her friends
was aroused by her constant changing of
washerwomen, their confidence in her
remained without material change until a
revelation came through the statement of
II washerwoman whose honesty, Eiithiul- |
ness, and efficiency, had made her service |
50 desirable that she could refuse whom |
she would She went to work for this |
particular lady, where the kitchen con-
yeniences were beyond the ordinary but |
she soon refused to work there, because,
as she told Il lady, She tried by little |
tricks to get more than days work out |
of me, and always managed TO keep me
half an hour or so over my time, not Of
fering me an extra cent for it. Indeed
] wouldn't haggle with lady, ma'am,
and so left. am not the only one,"
she added, Jealous for her own reputa-
ton, | am not the only one who is treat
ed that way | heard about her before
went, but said it may not be quite fair
10 her not to try for myself, and 80 tried,
and found it all true. It's pity; she
might be such a lady, but for the little
tricks"
All. but for the little tricks, how spot
led regulations might show themselves
fair, and yet when We seriously think of
il the character is radically unsound
when it is marked by these little exam
pies of trickery; for principle is involv-
ID, principle which recognizes the sig
nificants ef the golden rule, and woman
who practices these tricks may hold her
place ina certain kind of society, but
will surely lose her standing among gen.
lewomen.-C Christian at Work.